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Through the passing clouds a rainbow welcomed the international Coast Guard community in the small town of Port Angeles, Wash. Crews from the Russia Border Guard, Japan, Canada and the United States Coast Guards made preparations to begin the first official day of exercises, Aug. 25. The early August morning offered a rare glimpse of Northwest sunshine as the Russia Border Guard Vessel, Vorovskiy, prepared to pull away from the pier and the Japan Coast Guard Cutter Yasima followed just moments later.
The different Coast Guards rendezvoused in Port Angeles as part of Pacific Unity 2009, an exercise event that focused on partner nations demonstrating their ability to provide maritime assets during a simulated mass disaster in the Pacific Northwest. Each nation took part in coordinated, simulated scenarios that involved search and rescue, aids to navigation, law enforcement or security operations during the three-day event.
The first exercise for the Vorovskiy was a search and rescue scenario. After getting underway at 9:15 a.m., the crew on the bridge received word from the international command center that two “people” were reported to be in the water in Puget Sound.
“The two Oscars they are searching for were taken up in a Canadian helicopter and dropped in the water for this exercise,” said Canadian Coast Guard Capt. Duke Snider of the universal search and rescue practice mannequins. “We dressed up them special for this exercise.”
Immediately after receiving the information about the Oscars, the bridge crew gathered around the navigation table and set to work establishing a search pattern and deciding the best way to search for these two “people.”
“They did exactly what we would have done. They drew out a search pattern, put down track lines, and plotted out how they were going to search,” said Capt. Greg Sundgaard, the head of combined operations of the Pacific Unity 2009 working group.
Meanwhile, lookouts were posted around the ship at the alidades on each deck, with another man alongside searching the ocean through binoculars.
About an hour and a half into the search one of the Russian lookouts shouted and pointed. A number of other crewmembers joined him and searched the water in the area, he was pointing to see what was there. Was it one of the “people” they were looking for? The energy level spiked through the air as the Vorovskiy’s crewmembers prepared to save a life.
The ship steamed closer to the object in the water. Multiple eyes scoured the surface. When they were close enough to see what it was, the lookout’s face fell. It was only a log with a seagull on it. The search continued.
Twenty minutes later people were again running all around the starboard deck. The sailor grabbed his binoculars, pointed his hand in the direction of what he saw in the water. It didn’t matter that last time something was spotted, it was a false alarm. These Guardians were excited all over again!
This one was real. The small boat was launched and took off toward the object off the starboard bow of the larger ship. The crew on the small boat pulled the “person” out of the water and brought “him” aboard the small boat. When they started back toward the Vorovskiy, they were told the second “person” in the water was about 500 yards away. “He” was rescued as well.
The Hawaiian-shorts and tee-shirt-clad Oscars were brought aboard the small boat, and the crew raced back to bring their “survivors” aboard the Vorovskiy. Once on deck, CPR was administered, the two “victims” were placed on stretchers and taken to the medical wing below deck.
“A very successful rescue!” said Sundgaard.
“Two Canadians rescued by the Russians,” said Canadian Coast Guard Capt. Duke Snider.
“Always glad to help, as any good sailor would,” said Russian Boarder Guard Officer Leonid Fidurin.
The clouds rolled over the hills of Port Angeles toward the ocean as the Voroskiy sailed back into port. Everyone involved in the search and rescue scenario agreed the exercise was a huge success, a mission well-done and new friends made.
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PORT ANGELES, Wash. – A crewmember of the Russia Boarder Guard Vessel Vorovskiy looks over the ocean for the person in the water during a simulated exercise as part of Pacific Unity 2009 Aug. 25. (Coast Guard photo/Petty Officer 1st Class Allyson E.T. Conroy)
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PUGET SOUND, Wash. – Crewmembers of the Russia Boarder Guard Vessel Vorovskiy plot a search pattern to search for a simulated person in the water Aug. 25. The Russia Boarder Guard Vessel Vorovskiy took part in the Pacific Unity 2009 in Port Angeles, Wash., and Seattle Aug. 23-28. (Coast Guard photo/Petty Officer 1st Class Allyson E.T. Conroy)
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PUGET SOUND, Wash. - Crewmembers of the Russia Boarder Guard Vessel Vorovskiy search the ocean for the simulated person in the water Aug. 25. The Russia Boarder Guard Vessel Vorovskiy took part in the Pacific Unity 2009 in Port Angeles, Wash., and Seattle Aug. 23-28. (Coast Guard photo/Petty Officer 1st Class Allyson E.T. Conroy)
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PUGET SOUND, Wash. – Small boat crewmembers of the Russia Boarder Guard Vessel Vorovskiy head back to the Vorovskiy after rescuing Oscar during a search and rescue simulated scenario Aug. 25, 2009. The Russia Boarder Guard Vessel Vorovskiy took part in the Pacific Unity 2009 in Port Angeles, Wash., and Seattle Aug. 23-28. (Coast Guard photo/Petty Officer 1st Class Allyson E.T. Conroy)
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